


Heartbreak Girl

by nyx_kxk



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Love, Romance, suicidal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-19
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 01:38:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1208050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyx_kxk/pseuds/nyx_kxk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie is a self-destructive/suicidal girl who gets into trouble one night and Ashton helps her out. Now he just wants to save her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A loud bang pulled me out of unconsciousness. My eyes snapped open and I was surrounded by unfamiliar bedspread. I sat up and looked around, surrounded by an unfamiliar room. Where the hell was I? I looked down at myself and sucked in my breath in surprise. I was wearing someone else's shirt and boxers. My head was throbbing and what I could remember of the night before came flooding back to me.

A rave. It was your typical rave with booze and drugs, which I'd had a lot of both and I couldn't remember exactly what drugs I'd taken. But I'd never blacked out and went home with someone before. And then it hit me. Some guy at the bar had given me a couple capsules of MDMA, a drug I'd never had before. And the rest of the night was a blur.

Another noise from outside of the room reminded me that I had in fact gone home with someone and did God knows what. Might as well get the walk of shame over with. I glanced around the room, which was rather organized, but I couldn't find the clothes I'd been wearing. Fantastic. The neighbor's were going to have a fit when I walked through the neighborhood in boxers and a band shirt.

Stepping across the hardwood floor, I tentatively opened the door. I could hear a few different voices from down the hall. Even better. For all I knew I was going to be walking through the middle of family breakfast. Heading in the direction of the voices, I tried to be as quiet as possible.

With a peek around the corner, I could see four guys sitting around the island bar in the middle of a fancy kitchen which only raised more questions about what I'd done the night before. I must have made a noise because one of the guys turned and locked eyes with me.

"Ash...you're visitor is awake." The guy announced, causing the rest of the boys to look over at me. I stepped out from around the corner, hugging my arms around my chest.

"Oh, hey!" One of the guys jumped up and walked over to me, but I took a cautious step back. A hurt look flashed across his face but it passed quickly. "How are you feeling?"

Looking between all four of the guys, I shrugged. "Extremely confused...Did we fuck?"

The look that passed across his face was of utter shock. "N-no!..What do you remember about last night?"

"I remember being at the club, drinking a little too much, and taking some stuff." I admitted, glancing at the three other guys that were sitting there before looking at the guy standing in front of me.

"Oh..." He said, his face was unreadable. "Remember anything about some asshole who tried to...you know...get in your pants on the balcony?" He whispered the last part, looking down at me with concern in his eyes.

*

_His hands were rough as he fumbled the button on my shorts, his mouth crushing mine. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. "Stop please." I whispered, trying to slide away._

_"Shut up." He growled, his voice harsh and mean. Giving up on the button, he started to pull at my waistband with one hand and used his other hand to pull my tank top up to reveal my hot pink bra._

_"Stop." I tried to say it firmly, but it came out as a whimper as he managed to get my shorts around my knees. "HELP!" I cried out only to get a hand pressed against my mouth._

_The balcony door opened and four guys stumbled out, mid-laughter. Their laughter was cut short when they took in the scene in front of them._

_"Get lost." The guy hissed, his hand still pressed against my mouth._

_"Is there a problem, ma'am?" One of the boys asked, his curly hair flying crazy in the wind._

_I nodded frantically as the man holding me shook his head. "She's just playing." He pushed against me harder, the railing digging into my back. I shook my head, my eyes pleading to the new arrivals._

_"Um, I don't think she wants to be handled that way.." The boy who'd spoken before stepped forward._

_"Oh yeah, what are you gonna do about it?" The man sneered._

_"Well, I'd prefer you just let her go." He shrugged._

_The man holding me actually laughed, "Get lost." He repeated._

_"Sir...You should really let her go." The boy took another step forward, his group of friends stepping up behind him._

_"Shove off." He growled, moving his hand from my mouth to shoo the boys away._

_"HELP ME!" I shrieked, the man spun around and slapped me hard against the cheek. I heard a thud and two separate cries of pain. The boy who'd spoken was holding his hand in pain and the man was holding his nose back, blood dripping down._

_"Get lost before I call the cops." The boy said, still holding his fist._

_The man staggered back into the club as the boy rushed toward me. He helped pull my shorts back up just as I fainted._

_*_

"Why did you do that?" I asked. I'd never been shown such a kindness before.

"You needed help." He smiled a genuine smile. "And don't worry, I didn't take advantage of you or anything. I just put you in some of my old pajamas, yours are in the dryer right now...I made breakfast..." He ran a hand through his curly hair. "I'm Ashton by the way."

"Charlie." I introduced myself, still stunned by his kindness.

"Come meet the guys." Ashton smiled, offering his hand. I slipped my hand in his and he pulled me lightly toward the rest of the group. "Guys, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is Luke, Cal, and Mikey."

I quickly took them in; Luke had a lip ring and blonde hair, he was lanky and tall from what I could tell. Cal was definitely a Kiwi, with dark hair and dark eyes but a kind smile and a round face. Mikey had vibrant purple hair and light grey eyes and hesitant look on his face. 

"Are you hungry?" Ashton asked, motioning me to sit down in the chair he'd been sitting in before I walked in.

I shrugged, "A little." I was actually ravenous having not eaten since noon the day before.

Ashton nodded and doled out the food, oatmeal and Vegemite toast. I ate carefully, not wanting to look like a slob in front of these guys. They tried not to watch me, they were chatting away but I didn't bother to pay attention. It did't concern me anyway.

A noise went off on the other side of the kitchen and Ashton popped up. "You're clothes are done." He announced before leaving me with the other three.

"Sooo...Charlie." Cal looked over at me.

"Yeah?" I asked, making eye contact.

"Was that guy last night...your boyfriend?" He asked, looking down at his own bowl of oatmeal.

"No." I looked back down at my food and the rest of them took it as a sign that any conversation about the night before was off limits.

Ashton came back a couple minutes later, my clothes nowhere to be seen. "Your clothes are in the bathroom, you can take a shower if you want." He shrugged.

I jumped off my chair, "Yes please?" A shower sounded heavenly.

Ashton laughed and motioned for me to follow him down the hall. He stopped at a door. "Here it is, if you need anything just holler."

I nodded and stepped into the bathroom, my clothes in a neat pile on the counter. I quickly stripped off Ashton's pajamas and stepped into the tub, turning the water on as hot as I could bare. Closing the curtain, I turned on the shower and let the hot water soak into my skin. The night before played in my head and I could almost feel the man's hands on me again. Ashton had saved me from who knows what and then had gone above and beyond to make sure I was okay. But I still felt horribly filthy just knowing that someone had their hands on me in that way.

Once I was finished scrubbing away every memory of the night before and I was bright red, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped one of the towels from the counter around my waist and another around my hair in turban form. After drying my body off, I quickly toweled my hair as dry as I could and pulled my clothes on. Throwing the towels and pajamas in the laundry hamper, I stepped out of the bathroom and walked back to the kitchen.

All four guys were still sitting there, in the middle of a conversation that stopped as soon as I walked in. I couldn't help but feel like I'd worn out my welcome.

"Um...thank you for everything you've done for me. If I had money, I'd give you some..." I shrugged, "I think I should go now."

"Do you need a ride home?" Ashton asked, his face bright.

"Um..no, I should be okay." I gave him a half smile.

Ashton nodded before walking over to me, "I'll show you to the door then." He smiled, leading me to the door.

"It was nice to meet you guys." I called to the three guys that were still sitting at the counter. "And thank you for everything you did for me." I smiled up at Ashton as he opened the door for me.

"No problem. Um...maybe I could give you my number in case you ever get into trouble again?" He asked.

"Um, yeah sure...do you have a pen?" I asked. Ashton handed me a ballpoint pen and I write his number down on my hand. "If I ever need a hero, I'll be sure to give you a call."

"Or even if you don't need a hero." Ashton laughed which I reciprocated.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank again." I said before walking out of the door and down the sidewalk without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

Slipping in through the front door, I could hear Dad's obnoxious snores coming from the living room. He'd been sleeping there since Mom left us two years ago, it was closer to the liquor cabinet and far enough away from the memories their room held.

I stepped into the living room and saw Dad laying sprawled out on the couch, a bottle of vodka tucked into the crook of his arm. Shaking my head, I turned on my heels and took the stairs two at a time to get to my room. Closing the door behind me, I checked the clock before moving to my closet. I had an hour before I had to be to work and since Dad was passed out, I would have to walk. I quickly changed into my work uniform and wiped the makeup I'd be wearing off.

A glance in the mirror and I was out of my room, down the stairs, and heading down the sidewalk. I slipped my headphones on and turned some music on and I found my head bobbing along to the beat. The walk to work went by fairly quickly and soon I was stepping into the coffee shop through the backdoor.

My coworker, Sarah, greeted me as soon as I turned my music off, put my bag away, and clocked in. "Oh thank god you're here. Carl's been going on about how-"

I blocked her out, she could talk enough for both of us. Nodding my head when I felt necessary, I moved behind the counter and looked out at the coffee shop. It was a slow day, there was only three patrons all sitting at separate tables. With Sarah jabbing away in one ear and horrendous elevator music playing in the background, I sat down on the stool behind the register and pulled the drawer out to make it look like I was doing something. 

A half hour passed and one of the costumers left, another came in, and Sarah was still talking. My mind drifted back to that morning and how Ashton had basically saved my life. Glancing down at my arm, his number was still written there in my chicken scratch handwriting. I was tempted to call him and thank him again, but that could lead to a friendship or something of the sorts. Couldn't risk that. I grabbed a napkin off the counter and wet it with my spit, scrubbing the ink away.

The rest of the work day went by quickly and before I knew it there was only a half hour left until closing time. The shop was empty except for Sarah and I, the last patron having left an hour before. Sarah was in the kitchen doing dishes and I was still perched on my stool, looking through a magazine. Celebrity eating disorders, break ups, marriages, mental break-downs. All the good stuff, too bad most of it was just speculation.

The bell rang, indicating a new customer. Looking up from the magazine, I nearly fell off the stool when I recognized the man from the night before. His dark eyes emphasized by the black ring around his eye. The one who had his hands on me. Before he could see me, I ducked beneath the counter. I could hear his heavy footsteps as they walked up to the counter.

"Can I get some help?" His low rumble of a voice sent chills down my spine.

Sarah must have heard him because she pushed open the swinging door and glanced down at me. I shook my head and gave her the most pleading look I could. She must have understood because she stepped up to the counter and took the man's order.

"If you wanna have a seat over there, I'll bring your drink out to you." Sarah said politely and I could hear the man shuffle away. She looked down at me, "He's gone."

I nodded and ducked through the swinging door. My entire body was shaking and I couldn't catch my breath. Sarah pulled the stool in from behind the register and helped me sit down.

"Who is that guy?" Her voice was full of concern, but I couldn't bring myself to look her in the face.

I shook my head, "Just give him his coffee."

Sarah nodded and went back to the front. Shortly after I heard the coffee machine whir to life and the shrill noise of the steamer went off.

Taking a deep breath, I wrapped my arms around my chest. Why the hell was he in the coffee shop I worked at?! A Cup Of Joy barely got any business because there was a Starbucks down the street, so why did he come into  _my_  shop? On the day  _I_ was working? He couldn't know that I worked here, it must have been a coincidence but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my chest.

Sarah came back a few minutes later and sat down on the step ladder that was propped against the wall across from me. "What was that?" 

Shaking my head, I looked up at her. "That guy tried to...If Ashton wouldn't have stopped him..." And tears were threatening to pour out, but I blinked them away.

"He tried to rape you?!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes wide.

I nodded and she jumped up, wrapping her arms around me. "Oh Charlie, I'm so sorry." She cooed. Normally I hated hugs, but Sarah's hugs were nice. She was the only person I even vaguely considered a friend.

"I was at a party last night and took some stuff. I barely remember it. " I mumbled, "but I remember him."

Sarah nodded and let me go. "I'm so sorry." She repeated, tears in her eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay. Who's the guy who saved you? Austin?"

"Ashton." I corrected her, "He showed up and punched the guy in the face."

"Wow." Sarah said in awe. "How long have you known each other?"

"Just met him last night, when he punched the guy." I shrugged, "And I'll probably never see him again."

"Why?"

I looked down at my feet and shrugged, "It's probably best that way."

Sarah just shook her head, she was use to my cynical comments. She stood up and put her hand on my shoulder, "Why don't you go home? I can close, there's only ten minutes left."

I nodded and stood up. "Thanks, Sarah." She nodded and moved back to the front of the shop.

Grabbing my bag, I clocked out and walked out of the shop through the back door. Walking down the alley toward the main road, I reached into my bag to pull my iPod out when someone stepped out from the shadows.

"I knew I'd seen you before." That voice.  _His_ voice. A whole new set of shivers went down my spine and I took a step back. The coffee shop's back door was about thirty feet away and the main street was at least ten. I was trapped.

"What do you want?" My voice sounded shaky and unsure.

The man took a step forward, "Why don't we finish what we started last night?"

Digging around in my bag, I knew I had to have something...anything that could be used as a weapon. A water bottle, my keys, and my phone. My phone! I pulled it out and pressed 000.

"I'll call the police if you take another step." My voice sounded much more firm, the phone in my hand giving me confidence.

The man laughed and charged before I could hit 'Dial'. My phone was knocked out of my hand and it smacked against the brick wall. The man had be pressed against the wall and his hands were all over me. Screaming, I dug my nails into the flesh of his arm which resulted in a slap to the face and a hand around my throat. Choking, I couldn't breathe and panic began to build in me. I began kicking him frantically until my foot connected with his groin and he let go.

Scrambling for the main road, I was almost in the clear when his arm was around my waist and pulled me back. "HELP ME!" I screamed as loud as I could, "HELP!"

His fist connected with the back of my head and my scream was cut short. "Shut the fuck up!" He shouted, shoving me against the wall. I bounced off the wall like rag doll and collapsed on the ground. His hand grabbed the back of my collar and yanked me up, "I  _said_  we're going to finish what we started."

As his hands began pulling my my shirt up and my khaki's down, I knew that any attempt at fighting him would be useless. Tears flowed freely as his hands assaulted me, I looked toward the main road but no one was there. It was 9pm on a Wednesday night, of course the streets would be empty. But then a figure appeared in in the entrance to the alley.

I recognized him almost as quickly I recognized the man. "ASHTON!" I cried out a mixture of pure relief and confusion.

Seconds later Luke, Mikey, and Cal joined him and they leapt into action. Luke, Mikey, and Cal tackled the man just as he turned away from me to see what was going on. Ashton ran over me and pulled me into his arms. Clinging to him, I felt my knees go out. He pulled me back up and adjusted me clothes for me. Sitting me down against the wall, he pulled out his phone.

"I need to report a man, he was trying to attack my friend." A pause. "Yes, he's still here. She's okay, I think. He was trying to rape her. Yeah, okay, thank you." He turned to me, "They'll be here as soon as they can.

I watched as he turned to the man who was being held down by Luke, Mikey, and Cal. Ashton shook his head and kicked the man in the ribs, "That's for Charlie, you piece of shit." And then he walked back over to me and took his coat off, wrapping it around my shoulders. He slid down the wall next to me. "Are you okay?"

I could barely form proper thoughts, let alone a sentence so I just shook my head. Ashton nodded and pulled me back into his arms. He felt safe. He felt like home.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sarah asked from where she sat next to the hospital bed I was laid out in. I nodded, not wanting to talk about it. "You know, when Ashton burst into the coffee shop and told me that you were attacked...I thought you were dead. Honest to God, I thought that guy had killed you." Sarah wiped a tear away from her eye.

"Sarah, don't cry.." I pleaded, I hated seeing people cry...especially over me.

She had been locking the front door when Ashton had showed up, telling her about what happened. She'd ridden with me to the hospital in the ambulance while Ashton drove in his car. Now him, Luke, Cal, and Mikey were sitting in the waiting room because they weren't family. Sarah had told the doctors she was my sister so I wouldn't have to be alone.

"I'm sorry." Sarah quickly wiped her tears away and took a deep breath. "I'm glad you told Ashton to get me."

"Me, too." Nodding, I looked over at Sarah and felt like I was seeing her for the first time. She was a couple years older than me, somewhere between 20 and 21. And she looked tired, exhausted and run down. I could vaguely remember her telling me she had a daughter who was 2 or 3 and her baby's father wasn't around...and yet she was always smiling and happy and talkative. Her personal life wasn't something she usually talked about, just happenings around the shop or gossip about our boss. "Sarah?"

She looked up from her phone, "Yeah?"

"How's your kid?"

Sarah smiled brightly, her tiredness seemed to vanish. "Oh she's great! Her third birthday is this weekend and I've still got to get-" And she was off, talking a mile a minute but this time I actually listened. The love for her daughter was obvious in the way she smiled as she talked about birthday party plans and presents. "And you're invited of course. Zoe doesn't have a lot of friends yet, she's too young for daycare so it's mostly going to be my family and friends."

"I'd love to go." I smiled as a nurse walked through the door.

"Charlotte, you're kit came out negative and seeing how you've already given your statement to the police, you're free to go." The nurse said, handing me my discharge papers.

"Thanks." I said, taking the papers and sliding off the bed.

"Thank God." Sarah said, looping her arm around mine before dragging me out into the hallway.

Ashton stood up almost immediately as we entered the waiting room, his face searched mine as he walked over to us. "Everything okay?" The other boys stood up and joined him, watching me carefully.

Lifting up my discharge papers, I nodded. "Just got released."

"Awesome." Ashton said with a smile. "Let's get out of here then."

Luke, Cal, and Mikey led the way out of the hospital, Ashton and I took up the rear, and Sarah walked in between the two groups. The hallways curved every which way and I'd sworn we gone through the same ward three times when we finally arrived at the front lobby.

"You three aren't allowed to lead ever again." Ashton laughed and my breath caught in my throat at the sound of it. It was so flitty and cheerful and perfect.

"Whatever." Luke pouted playful as Mikey ruffled Ashton's hair and Cal jumped on his back. It was nice to see Ashton with his friends and I couldn't help but watch from behind with a slight smile on my lips.

Tearing my eyes from the group of boys, I looked up at the sky. The city lights made it impossible to see the stars that I knew were out there. I missed being able to see the stars.

When Mom was still around and Dad was sober, we lived out in the bush. We owned a small horse farm and the moon and stars would shine so brightly that when we did our nightly chores we wouldn't need a flashlight, we'd just use the natural light. But then Mom got tired of the farm life and left us for some guy she met online and Dad started drinking and everything went to shit. My mind always seemed to wander back to the happy days before that though, leaving a hollow ache in my chest.

The boys had stopped mucking around and Ashton walked over to where I was standing. "Do you need a ride home?"

I shook my head while avoiding his eyes, "I'm alright, thank you again for everything."

Ashton nodded before glancing down at my arm. He must have seen that his number was missing because a hurt look flashed across his face but he didn't let on about it. "I'll see you around then."

I moved to stand next to Sarah as the boys left, piling into Ashton's beat up car. As the car roared to life and puttered down the street, I couldn't help but wish I'd kept Ashton's number. Oh well, what was done was done and I couldn't take it back now. Turning to Sarah, I could see that she had been watching me but the look on her face reminded so much of Mum.

And then I remembered, I'd be going to home to a drunk father who wasn't going to wake up long enough to greet me, let alone care about everything that had happened that night. I'd be alone just like I always was.

Sarah looked at me carefully, "Do you want to stay with me tonight? I just live around the block and Zoe's at my mom's house..."

I smiled and nodded, Sarah seemed to have read my mind. The walk to Sarah's was quiet and for once she didn't feel the need to fill it with mindless rambling. After about ten minutes of walking Sarah stopped us in front of a small, one level house that looked like it could easily fit inside Nando's twice. It looked worn down and disheveled but mostly it looked like a home with toys strewn about the lawn and a play house resting next to a tree swing. It looked lovely.

Sarah hid her face as she moved to unlock the door and I wondered if she was ashamed of it. As we stepped inside, though, I was taken back by how beautiful it looked on the inside. The furniture was new and looked very comfortable, family photos lined the walls, and it looked....well, beautiful.

"Sarah, this is gorgeous." I smiled over at her as her expression went from nervous to relieved.

"You really like it?" She asked. I watched as she scanned the room herself, her face switching from smiling to laughing and then back to smiling.

"I love it." I could only hope that one day, I'd be able to say I loved the place I was living in, a place I'd made.

"Let's get to bed then. Neither of us work tomorrow, right?" Sarah asked, stepping out of her shoes.

I followed suit and slipped my shoes off, "Yeah, I don't work tomorrow."

"Alright then. I am well tired so I'm going to go to bed, but first I'll grab you some blankets and pillows." Sarah said before bustling out of the room.

The couch seemed to call my name as I stepped over to it. Sitting down, I seemed to sink into the cushions and I swear I let out an audible moan at how comfy it was. Laying down on my side, I used the arm of the couch as a pillow and closed my eyes as I drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to get this in!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, this is my first 5 Seconds of Summer story, let me know if you like it or if I should continue it xD


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